Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Any other good places for breakfast?

Hotel Aryaas, below the flyover at Satthuvachari at the junction of Katpadi road and NH 46. If not for breakfast, for coffee/tea/lunch.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Suggestions of any kind are welcome! Thanks!

Link to the route that I took a few days back
http://goo.gl/maps/7Z2M7
Some pointers:
1. On the way to Arcot, you will find Green Thunder water park or your right. If you go further ahead, you will see a structure with a hugh cross on it on your left(think this is the SSS Arts & Science college building). Just after that is this small roundabout where you need to take right

2. Once you take right, it takes you to NH46 and you will see a bridge. Take a U turn before the bridge and take the first left at the junction. This is the road that connects to SH5 and runs parallel to the river (river is dry)

3. At the dead end, take left and you will hit SH5

4. Cheyyar bypass has a lot of speed breakers and crazy bikers. Might be easier to drive through Cheyyar town

5. Use the tindivanam bypass when you are driving from Vandavasi to Tindivanam. I went through the town and spent about 20 minutes driving around thanks to one way streets

6. Dont pick up alcohol from pondy while coming back as they check each car and ask you to open bags etc

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Thanks Ampere, as always!
Any other good places for breakfast?

I usually stop at Kamat which it attached to the Reliance petrol pump. Good food and relatively less crowd even on weekends
http://goo.gl/maps/EJZbI

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by ampere

If you start at 6:30 you would only make it to A2B or Meenakshi Bhavan by 7:30/8 at Shoolagiri. If you had planned Vellore for a breakfast stop over; it would easily be 10 !
Both A2B or Meemakshi Bhavan are good places to stop, though not in the league of Sankam, Belgaum!

Just try to beat the crowd. 8AM is peak BF time on a weekend at these places.

Probably Shri Saravana Bhavan at Krishnagiri should be possible at around 8.30 - 9 am. Just beyond Krishnagiri junction towards Salem direction!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

Probably Shri Saravana Bhavan at Krishnagiri should be possible at around 8.30 - 9 am. Just beyond Krishnagiri junction towards Salem direction!

Possible. But then its a deviation from the regular Chennai route. So if he is fine then by all he can keep that option open.

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by ampere

If you start at 6:30 you would only make it to A2B or Meenakshi Bhavan by 7:30/8 at Shoolagiri. If you had planned Vellore for a breakfast stop over; it would easily be 10 !
Both A2B or Meemakshi Bhavan are good places to stop, though not in the league of Sankam, Belgaum!

Will try to start as early as possible to avoid a peak hour rush, not only at the hotels, but also the toll-gates!!

And yes, Sankam is Sankam. Thanks for suggesting such a great eating place. It's now a must-visit for any Goa trip via Belgaum

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Hotel Aryaas, below the flyover at Satthuvachari at the junction of Katpadi road and NH 46. If not for breakfast, for coffee/tea/lunch.

Thanks! Will try this out if we are not running late already. Post breakfast, after a breakfast is not bad at all, especially while travelling. I prefer to take food at regular intervals rather than stuffing all at one time.

And who knows, we may not be able to go for lunch upon reaching Pondy as we plan on taking some rest after check-in. Not everything goes as planned when on a holiday!

Originally Posted by procrj

Link to the route that I took a few days back
http://goo.gl/maps/7Z2M7
Some pointers:

http://goo.gl/maps/EJZbI

Thank you! I am sure this information is definitely going to be handy.

Originally Posted by Gokrish

Probably Shri Saravana Bhavan at Krishnagiri should be possible at around 8.30 - 9 am. Just beyond Krishnagiri junction towards Salem direction!

Originally Posted by ampere

Possible. But then its a deviation from the regular Chennai route. So if he is fine then by all he can keep that option open.

The problem is, every time you overshoot a turn, intentionally or unintentionally, you need to take a U-turn to get back on track. On highways, I try to avoid this scenario as much as possible, not because I feel uncomfortable, but because you are put into a situation where in you need to precisely gauge the speed of the vehicle coming from the other end while making a U-Turn. With the kind of speeds seen nowadays on our highways, I would prefer to avoid putting myself and the driver of the other vehicle into such a scenario.

Having said that, I will definitely be visiting the place recommended here while we head to Yeracaud in future.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Having said that, I will definitely be visiting the place recommended here while we head to Yeracaud in future.

Another option, in case you see that Shoolagiri hotels (A2B, Kamat, Meenakshi Bhavan) are crowded. Don't stop. Drive past Krishnagiri and take the Chennai road (NH46). About 5km after the Pallikonda toll you should see a CCD on your right (other side of the 4-lane and not on your side). This CCD campus also houses Aryas. So in other words you will have to cross and take a U to come to this place. Its not that big a pain.

The place is decent. Its not the same league as A2B, but typically low on crowds. I think CCD and an Arya has also come up on the same side after Pallikonda toll. Can some one confirm? Its been some time since I have been on this road.

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by ampere

Another option, in case you see that Shoolagiri hotels (A2B, Kamat, Meenakshi Bhavan) are crowded. Don't stop. Drive past Krishnagiri and take the Chennai road (NH46). About 5km after the Pallikonda toll you should see a CCD on your right (other side of the 4-lane and not on your side). This CCD campus also houses Aryas. So in other words you will have to cross and take a U to come to this place. Its not that big a pain.

The place is decent. Its not the same league as A2B, but typically low on crowds. I think CCD and an Arya has also come up on the same side after Pallikonda toll. Can some one confirm? Its been some time since I have been on this road.

I thought he was generally not ok with CCD. Both CCD and Aryas are on the same side i.e. on your right while driving towards Vellore from Pallikonda toll. Just after Pallidonda toll, you have another option in Hotel Deepam but on your right again forcing you to cross sides. But, by the time he reaches the place, it would be around 10 am. I have seen another restaurant on this stretch, but on the left side somewhere before Pallikonda toll.

Originally Posted by ampere

I think CCD and an Arya has also come up on the same side after Pallikonda toll. Can some one confirm?

Both CCD and Arya Bhavan are attached to HP COCOO, located within a km from Pallikonda toll plaza on the RHS, when driving from Bangalore towards Chennai.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Both CCD and Arya Bhavan are attached to HP COCOO, located within a km from Pallikonda toll plaza on the RHS, when driving from Bangalore towards Chennai.

I had lunch at this Arya Bhavan last month. I stopped at another hotel before this while coming from Chennai (One underground hotel attached to a marriage hall, don't remember its name) and came out as it was crowded and not clean).

Lunch at Arya Bhavan was clean and decent.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

I thought he was generally not ok with CCD. Both CCD and Aryas are on the same side i.e. on your right while driving towards Vellore from Pallikonda toll. Just after Pallidonda toll, you have another option in Hotel Deepam but on your right again forcing you to cross sides. But, by the time he reaches the place, it would be around 10 am. I have seen another restaurant on this stretch, but on the left side somewhere before Pallikonda toll.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Both CCD and Arya Bhavan are attached to HP COCOO, located within a km from Pallikonda toll plaza on the RHS, when driving from Bangalore towards Chennai.

Am aware of Arya Bhavan. Had food there couple of times. I think I may have erred about the other one. Is it Vasantha Bhavan?

CCD at the COCO bunk is one. There is one more CCD I think on the same side of the highway a bit further. Or is it just another hotel (Vasantha? )

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by ampere

CCD at the COCO bunk is one. There is one more CCD I think on the same side of the highway a bit further. Or is it just another hotel (Vasantha? )

If you meant the one just before Pallikonda Toll towards Krishnagiri, then it is Hotel Deepam. Pretty decent stuff available there.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by ampere

There is one more CCD I think on the same side of the highway a bit further

Yep there is one more on the same side but that is just after kanchipuram
http://goo.gl/maps/RQE3k

[ampere]

Originally Posted by procrj

Yep there is one more on the same side but that is just after kanchipuram
http://goo.gl/maps/RQE3k

I was not referring to that one. I thought there were 2 (one each on either at Pallikonda. I may be mistaken)

As per what I know :
While going towards Chennai CCDs include:
- Shoolagari (drive side)
- One at Pallikonda (Opposite)
- One at Kanchi (I think drive side)
- Sriperumbudur (Opposite side)

[Safety is Param]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

Hi All,

Have planned a trip to Pondy this weekend. Per the suggestions in previous pages, I am planning to take the Krishnagiri-Vellore-Cheyyar-Vandavasi-Tindivanam-Pondicherry route. Hope that's fine.

Still need to zero-in on the turns and diversions to take to stick to this route. Hope I get it sorted out by EOD today.

After computing the route in Google Maps, this is what I have come up with. I hope that's fine.

http://goo.gl/maps/6KTkl

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Safety is Param

After computing the route in Google Maps, this is what I have come up with. I hope that's fine.

http://goo.gl/maps/6KTkl

Yes your route is absolutely fine